Metal grille



Patented Sept. ZG, 1932 UNITE s tantas crslcE METAL GRILLE Application filed May 16, 1929. Serial No. 363,470.

My present invention concerns more particularly grilles, specifically in the form of open mesh fabric woven, preferably by machinery, from more or less flattened metal strips or wire.

VVhen woven by any standardized method, particularly by machine, the present-day product has a very uniform, machine-made appearance, and one object of my present invention is to break up the hard lines and machine-like regularity of the grilles by making the flattened metal strips varying in width from end to end, preferably combining therewith a variation in thickness. rThe variation in width tends to give the completed grille a pleasing variation, by reason of the juxtaposition of the varying outline. rThere may be also a tendency to slight lateral shift of the individual wires by reason of the nonuniformity of widths and this is further accentuated when the wire is also of varying thickness.

My invention may be more fully understood from the following description inconnection with the accompanying drawing7 in which Fig. l is an edge view of one of the strips; Fig. 2 is a view of the convex or exposed face of the strip;

Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views respectively on the lines 3 3, 4 4, Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a view of the flat face of a modified form of strip;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a view of a grille made from strips having the characteristics illustrated in the preceding gures.

All of these views are more or less diagrammatic and in general the characteristic variation in width or edge outline is exaggerated. Moreover, the variation and thickness may be very much less than indicated in any of the views.

In the specific form shown in Figs. l and 2, the strip is supposed to be flat on the top surface, as indicated by the edge view of Fig. 1 and convex on the other surface as indicated in Fig. 2. This convexity may be and preferably is the true cylinder surface presented ,by drawn wire, and the fiat surface is achieved by shaving, and while this is preferableA it will be evident that strips having one or all of the same characteristics may be made by drawing or rolling. As shown 1n Figs. 3 55 and 4 Vthe flat surfaces are substantially chords and the curved surfaces substantially arcs of the same circle, the thick portion l is labout twicethe thickness of the thin portion 2, and the wider portion .3 and narrower por- 30 tions 4 are produced by reason of the varying points at which the iiat surface intersects the cylinder of the wire. It will be understood that while it is desirable, it is not necessary that the wide portions coincide with the variations of thickness nor that the convex surface be a true cylinder.

Strips having the above characteristics are shown in Fig. 7 as woven in one of the many patterns that may be selected to suit the artistry of the designer. The simple pattern in this case is warp strips'a, a, a, woof strips b, b, Z2 and diagonals 0, c, c, and cl, cl, CZ. The thicker, wider portions 3, and the thinner, narrower portions 4 are shown as presented toward the observer, as in Fig. 2, but Vit is evident 'that the reverse side of the grille may be presented outward, and this is desirable, particularly where the edges 3, 4, are sharp, the convex surfacesbeing less likely to cause damage to person or apparel by accidenta]- contact therewith. A

A special form of strip that has very pleasing artistic as well as mechanical advantages, is more or less diagrammatically indicatedv in Figf. Here the strip consists of wire that has beenl shaved to producewool andy the shaving has proceeded down to scrapping thickness, which is usually even less than indicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

lf desired, the edges of the scrap from which the strips are made may be smoothed or slightly rounded and, if desired, the strip may be re-rolled to decrease the sharpness 4 of the grooves or to eliminate them altogether.

ln this modification even more than in the form first described, the length and pitch of the curved surfaces and edges and the total Variation between maximum and mini- 100 mum thicknesses and widths may be modiied within wide limits. Where the curvesare very long and the slope small as coinpared with the size of the grille made therefrom, the irregularity may in the case of a single grille appear to the -eye mainly as a variation of width which is continuous so far as Concerns the portio'nof a single strip'. Even in the case of almost imperceptible valo riations, the hand-made appe'aranceiwill,be`

evidentl I claini z-V v I Y y l; A grille comprising interwoven spaced 4 apart, spring metal strips thatarebf-greater `Width than thickness, of gradually varying widths and thicknesses, the lengths of the variable portions of the strips being great'as compared with the spacing of the strips.

2;-A grille ycomprising interwoven meta-l strips that are of greater width-than thickness, of'varying widths and thicknesses, having one face substantially chords and another substantially arcs'of the same circle'. y

V3.A grille comprising interwoven metal Vstrips that are of greater width than thickness, of varying widths, having one face substantially flat and another cylindrical, flat surfaces vof one strip engaging cylindricaly surfaces of another-strip at all contactpoints 'of the strips, throughout the grille.

4. A grille comprising interwoven metal strips that are of greater width than vthickness, said strips comprising longitudinal portions of cylindrical wire and having one face substantially at but finely grooved longitudinally and another face substantially cylindrical, all grooved surfaces being presented toward the same face of the grille.

5. A grille comprising interwoven spring steel ribbons having substantially the size shape and cross-section of-the wire scrapy from the metal wool cutting machine, said ribbons having one face conforming. to chords and the other face conforming to arcs of the same-circle, the chord face being longitudinally grooved and the ribbons having variations in thickness, from end to end, which are very small as compared with the mesh spacing ofthe ribbonsvas woven in the grille.

Signed at Brooklyn in the county of Kings, and State of New York, this 13th day of May,

A.VV D. 1929. n

CROSBY FIELD. i 

